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Sun, 30 August 2015
Why we should oppose Aurangzebing of Aurangzeb

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19:43   Why we should oppose Aurangzebing of Aurangzeb
The news that Aurangzeb Road is to be re-named now, is both a surprise and no surprise. 

Surprise because mature people are not expected to act immaturely. 

No surprise because mature people can act like they have never read history. 

Decaying dynasties used to see upstarts and putatives issue fresh coins with new insignia, unveil new heraldry, over-write their hollow names and styles on ancient rock, to smudge out the old, using the grand old surfaces to carry a new firman, a new edict. 

The shallower the claimant, the coarser the metal of the coin, the cruder the new scrawl over the old.

Re-naming roads is about the most immature and least convincing sign of authority. It is invariably the accoutrement of new power. 

Read more HERE
http://thewire.in/2015/08/30/why-we-should-oppose-the-aurangzebing-of-aurangzeb-9549/
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19:40   Why Censor Board rejected documentary on Modi's Banaras election
Political rhetoric and name calling in the heat of a election campaign goes unnoticed, but looks "horrifying" when seen later. 

When Kamal Swaroop presented his film 'Dance of Democracy-Battle for Banaras' based on the Narendra Modi-Arvind Kejriwal electoral fight in May 2014, to the Central Board of Film Certification, they rejected it out of hand. 

The Board found the comments made by candidates about their rivals during the run up to the elections too hot to handle. 

They simply refuse to pass the film, saying that even cutting the film was not possible.

Read more HERE

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19:32   What happened in Patna today was not 'Swabhiman' but 'apman' rally: BJP
After Sonia Gandhi shared dais with Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar at a rally in Patna, BJP today hit back saying the "promoters of politics of family  rule, opportunism and corruption" have come together to target it and accused the Congress chief of telling "lies" to attack the Centre

As Gandhi attacked the Modi government over "diluting" MNREGA and its Pakistan policy, BJP said the whole world had acknowledged India's tough stand on terrorism but she spoke "lies" while her son and deputy Rahul Gandhi went to border to
question the Centre instead of Pakistan. 

"The promoters of family rule, opportunism and corruption were today at one platform... Sonia Gandhi, you should have shown some shame. You told lies on Pakistan," Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad told a press conference.

Under the BJP government, allocation to MNREGA had been increased by Rs 5000 crore and it was not diluted as alleged by Gandhi, he said. 

Seeking to corner the Congress over her sharing dais with the RJD chief, a convict in a fodder scam case, Prasad said it was a "cruel joke" that she praised his rule in Bihar, saying it was an "insult" of Bihar, which is likely to see assembly polls in October-November. 

BJP dubbed the grand alliance's 'Swabhiman' rally as "apman rally".
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19:08   Champagne cork forces plane to make emergency landing!
High spirits of passengers on board a Turkey-bound plane from London soon ran out of fizz when the aircraft had to make an emergency landing in Italy after being damaged by a popping champagne cork. 

The easyJet plane was forced to make the emergency landing when the champagne cork smashed ceiling panels after a stewardess opened the bottle for a customer. It caused oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling.

The plane was halfway through a four-hour flight from London Gatwick to Dalaman, Turkey.

The pilot was forced to make the emergency landing in Italy for repairs. 

"It wasn't very funny at the time but I can see the lighter side now," a passenger was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

"All that hassle, delay and money wasted by easyJet -- all over a champagne cork! No one on the flight could believe it and people I have spoken to have found it hilarious," the passenger said.

The flight, which took off at 4.20 PM on August 7, was diverted via Milan so the masks could be reset. 

"EeasyJet can confirm that flight EZY8845 from London Gatwick to Dalaman on August 7 diverted to Milan Malpensa as a precautionary measure due to a technical issue with the cabin crew oxygen masks," an easyJet spokesman said.
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19:06   Pakistan says India will suffer 'heavy losses' if it goes to war
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has warned India that it will suffer "heavy losses" which it would "remember for decades" if it tries to "impose" a war on his country.

Asif said "Pakistan's armed forces will defend every inch of their motherland at every cost".

He was talking to media during his visit to village Kundunpur along the international border in Sialkot. 

Asif said "cowardly acts" by Indian forces have strengthened the determination of the nation to defend the motherland, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. 

"India's real face is exposed as it is supporting terrorism in Pakistan and creating tension on borders through unprovoked firing along the working boundary and line of control," he said.
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18:58   CPM, BJP workers continue to clash; tension in parts of Kerala
Tension prevailed in some parts of Kannur and Kumarakom areas of Kottayam district today following continuing incidents of sporadic violence allegedly involving CPI(M) and BJP cadres.

In Kannur, known for political violence, miscreants allegedly hurled country-bombs at the residence of BJP District President K Ranjith early this morning, police said. 

At least four other incidents of bomb attacks had been reported from Kannur in which houses of workers of both the parties were targeted last night, in continuing violence since a CPI(M) worker and a BJP-RSS activist were killed in two separate incidents in Kasargode and Thrissur districts on Aug 28, they said.

CPI (M) alleged that four persons, including a pregnant woman, were injured in a midnight attack targeting a party worker's house in Iritty area by RSS-BJP activists, but police did not mention any casualty.

Police believe that the continuing sporadic incidents of clashes were a sequel to the violent attacks between members of the two parties in Azhikode panchayat in the distict on Friday night.

Tension prevailed in Kumarakom in Kottayam district after a CPI(M) local leader's car was torched allegedly by RSS-BJP workers last night.
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17:28   Pak wants meaningful dialogue with India: Sharif tells Rice
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday told United States National Security Advisor Susan Rice that Pakistan wants a "meaningful" and "objective" dialogue with India on all outstanding issues, amid reports that she is in Islamabad on an "emergency visit" in the wake of Indo-Pak border tensions. 

In his meeting with Rice, Sharif, while talking about ties with India, informed the US delegation the reasons behind the cancellation of talks between NSAs of India and Pakistan, Dawn News reported.

Sharif said Pakistan wants to hold a "meaningful" and "objective" dialogue on all outstanding issues with New Delhi. 

Rice arrived in Pakistan on a day-long visit to exchange views on various matters and prepare agenda for Sharif's visit to the US in October.

A statement by Sharif's office, that made no direct reference to his comments on ties with India, said the meeting "focused on matters of bilateral interest and the future of Pakistan-US relations."

"The situation in the region also came under discussion," it said without giving details.

Media reports have said the US National Security Advisor is here on an "emergency visit" as part of the American effort to reduce the ongoing tension between the two neighbours. 
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17:24   6 dead, dozens hurt in fire at Saudi oil giant housing complex
At least six people were killed and 206 injured in Saudi Arabia today when a fire broke out at a residential complex housing employees of oil giant Saudi Aramco, authorities said.

The fire started in the basement of a tower in the eastern city of Khobar, the kingdom's civil defence said on Twitter.

It added that several of the injured were in a "critical condition" and that the casualties were from "various nationalities," without giving details.

Photographs published on the civil defence website showed plumes of black smoke rising from the windows of one of the buildings. 

Authorities said that residents of nearby towers were evacuated as helicopters took part in the firefighting operations.

Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company in terms of crude production and exports, released a statement confirming the fire at the residential complex, adding that the incident was being investigated.

The company says it employs more than 61,000 workers worldwide from 77 countries.
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17:21   Musharraf set for a comeback into Pak politics?
Pakistan's former military dictator Pervez Musharraf could soon stage a political comeback as head of a new party combining all factions of the Muslim League except the ruling PML-N of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, ahead of local body elections.

Efforts have been intensified to form the party -- United Muslim League -- after uniting all factions of Muslim League except Sharif's PML-N. 

PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain yesterday held a meeting with 72-year-old Musharraf, head of All Pakistan Muslim League at his residence in Karachi and agreed to merge all factions except PML-N to form a "new look party". 

"I met with General Musharraf, PML-Functional chief Pir Pagara Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi and former Sindh chief minister Syed Ghaus Ali Shah, who was once a close aide of Sharif. They all are unanimous on formation of the United Muslim League," Hussain told reporters. 

He said efforts are also on to take all those Muslim League leaders and workers on board who are not happy with the policies of the Sharif brothers - Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif. 

The new party is likely to be formed before local body elections scheduled to be held by the end of the year.
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17:07   Nitish takes a jab at Modi: 'My DNA represents a Bihari'
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Sunday that the people of his state will be sending samples of their hair and nails to the Prime Minister's Office for a DNA analysis.

Addressing a massive Swabhimaan Rally in Patna's Gandhi Maidan, Kumar said, "He(Narendra Modi) said my DNA is bad. Who am I? I am one of you. Today, people of Bihar are collecting samples of their hair and nails and from tomorrow they will sending it to the Prime Minister's Office for their DNA analysis. My DNA represents a Bihari."

"The history of Bihar is not only the history of India but it is also the history of human development. Lord Buddha gained enlightenment here. It's also the land of Lord Mahavira, birth place of Guru Gobind Singh, Chanakya wrote the Arthshashtra here, and you (Narendra Modi)say that its DNA is bad. Chandra Gupta Maurya ruled here, Ashoka belonged from here and today the wheel in our national flag emerged from this Patliputra and you say that our DNA is bad," Kumar said.

"This is that Bihar which gave India its first president, Bapu (Mahatama Gandhi) started the Champaram Movement from here, JP started his revolutionary movement here and he(Narendra Modi) says my DNA is bad. He has questioned my integrity and I will not accept that," he said.

Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for repackaging Rs 1.08 lakh crore, Kumar said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Rs 1.25 lakh crore package. I want to expose him, and say that out of the entire package, Rs 1.08 lakh crore is old."

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14:53   Rajan hints at rate cut; inflation down quicker than expected
Indicating an imminent rate cut, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said inflation has come down to the comfort zone quicker than expected and he is keeping a watch on data to see how much room is there for further easing of the monetary policy.

"We are on a phase of accommodation. We are still in that phase. We are looking at the data to see what more room we have," Rajan said. 

Stating that RBI monetary policy has been accommodative, Rajan said he has cut interest rates three times already this year and he was "still on an accommodative setting". 

"You know, like other central banks, we are in a wait-and-watch mode. And as the incoming data are analysed, we are looking to see how much monetary room there is for more accommodation," Rajan told Wall Street Journal in an interview on the sidelines of the Jackson Hole summit in Wyoming, US.

Rajan, who was participating in this elite economic symposium of the Kansas City Federal Reserve, said inflation has come down in India, and replied in affirmative when asked whether it was coming into RBI's comfort zone more quickly than he had expected. 

In an earlier interview also, to CNBC at the same summit, Rajan had said that he was not finished with rate cuts and RBI continues to remain in accommodative mode. 
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14:51   80 DNA collection counters at Patna rally venue
The Janata Dal-United has set up 80 counters around Gandhi Maidan for collection of DNA samples of people coming to rally of secular alliance in Patna today as part of its "Shabdwapsi" (take back word) campaign.

The counters manned by JD(U) workers is providing an envelop containing a plastic pouch for collection of hair and nail sample of a willing citizen. 

The envelop has the name and 7, Race Course Road address of the prime minister printed on it and also carries a column in which the citizens offering sample has to mention name, address and the place they belong to.

On the front, it's written "I feel proud of being a Bihari and there is no fault in my DNA. But if you (PM) have any doubt you can get it tested." 

RJD President Lalu Prasad too mentioned the DNA angle in a tweet ahead of "Swambhiman rally" at Gandhi Maidan.

"People of Bihar will tell BJP today that they are 'tikau' (durable) and not 'bikau' (for sale)... There is good sanskar (culture) in our DNA," Prasad tweeted. 

The "Shabdwapsi" campaign was launched by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in a bid to capitalise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's DNA barb against him. 

Referring to the frequent change of political allegiance of Nitish Kumar at a rally in Muzaffarpur on July 25, Modi had said it appeared that there was "some problem with his DNA".
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14:44   Sheena murder: All skeleton, no flesh when body first spotted
The village official in Raigad district, who helped Mumbai Police team locate the spot where Sheena Bora was allegedly buried, today said when he first spotted the body in 2012 it was just a skeleton with no flesh.

"It was all skeleton. There was no flesh. The local government doctor took it for post mortem, after which it was buried," Police Patil Ganesh Dhene of Hetevne village said. 

Asked how he came across the skeletal remains, Dhene said: "I had gone to collect mangoes. The body was not in a suitcase. The surrounding area was burnt." 

Asked if the area was burnt as a result of petrol being poured on the body, Dhene said, "I don't know if it was burnt by petrol or something else."

A team of police, forensic experts and villagers had on Friday exhumed skeletal remains after Dhene identified the exact spot where Sheena's body was allegedly dumped in the forest three years back.
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14:42   Surnames will soon cease to matter in politics: Jaitley
In an apparent dig at the Congress and some regional parties, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said "surnames, families and lineages" will soon cease to matter in politics and such a trend has already begun in the business world.

Describing 1991 as the watershed year in Indian history, Jaitley also said opening up of the economy has made the world "more cruel" than ever before and has ensured that only the fittest will survive and the excellence will be rewarded. 

Addressing students at the third convocation of the National Law University in New Delhi, Jaitley said, "Survival of fittest is more applicable today in law and business... Surnames, families and lineage will not matter."

Stating that a bulk of the top-50 companies do not belong to the traditional business families now, the senior BJP leader said hopefully time will soon come when "surnames, families and lineages" will cease to matter in politics too. 

While he did not name anyone, his comments assume significance because of members of particular families holding top positions at a number of political parties including Congress and a host of regional parties across the country.
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13:52   Patel quota protest is not a 100 metre race, but a marathon: Hardik
Hardik Patel, who is leading the Patel quota agitation, came to Delhi on Sunday to hold talks with quota stir leaders, including Gujjars and Jats, and said that he wants to take the movement to every part of the nation, but has no plans to form a political party.

Addressing a press conference, Patel said, "We have to take this movement across the country. And, through the cooperation of everyone, the issue of reservation has to be explained to every person, society and state. Till now, 12 states are involved in this agitation. We are not here to meet any minister. Political parties are not welcome in the agitation, and I have no plans to form a political party."

Patel also said that their protest is not a 100 metre race, but a marathon that would continue for at least one or two years.

"We (Patel community) are 27 crores in the whole country. We have to unite them and we will take this protest across the country," Patel told media here.

On being asked whether reservation is necessary for development, he said, "It's the political parties, which has brought up reservation policy during elections for 5 to 10 years. Now, it's been going on for 60 years. Due to reservation the country is 60 years behind. The government needs to give reservation to the needy.
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13:30   Govt NOT to re-promulgate land ordinance: PM
Facing stiff resistance on the Land Acquisition Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the government will not re-promulgate the Ordinance which expires on Monday and declared readiness to accept any suggestions to benefit the farmers in the pending bill on it.

Apparently referring to the political opponents, he said lot of misapprehensions had been created over the Land bill and fear was instilled among the farmers, even though states had suggested amendments to the Act of 2013 for the benefit of villages and villagers.

"I have said it earlier also. The government has an open mind on the Land Acquisition Bill, about which there is a lot of controversy. I have said it again and again that I am ready to accept any suggestion for the benefit of farmers," Modi said in his monthly radio program 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday.

"We had promulgated an Ordinance on Land Acquisition Bill which will expire tomorrow. I have decided that it should be allowed to expire. It means restoration of the situation that prevailed before my government took over," the prime minister said, while insisting that the voice of farmers mattered the most to him.

The government had issued the Ordinance thrice so far as the Land bill could not be passed in Parliament due to stiff resistance by most of the opposition parties as well as some ruling NDA allies.

Modi, during his 20-minute address, maintained that the suggestions for "improving" upon the Land Act of 2013 had come from states who believed that for the welfare of farmers, there should be canals to bring irrigation water, electric poles for electricity, roads, houses and poor villagers should get work and "we should free this law from the clutches of the bureaucracy". 
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13:24   Militants kill engineer in pre-dawn Pak airport attack
Heavily armed militants today attacked an airport and its radar system in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province, killing one aviation engineer while kidnapping the manager of the airport. 

A group of around 12 motorbike-borne militants launched a pre-dawn attack on the Jiwani airport in Gwadar district, some 980 kilometers from Quetta and the site of Pakistan's upcoming port-city where China has made huge investments. 

Police said that an aviation engineer was killed and another engineer was injured in the attack while the militants also kidnapped Mehmood Niazi, the manager of the airport. 

"Around 12 armed men on six motorcycles attacked the airport at around 4:30 am killing a Civil Aviation Authority engineer," Gwadar Deputy Commissioner Abdul Hameed Abro said, adding "four local Baloch were also present at the airport at the time but were spared by the attackers". 

The radar system of the airport has also been destroyed. 

The injured engineer was airlifted for treatment in Karachi. 

Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch has condemned the attack. 

"Those responsible for the attack will be traced and punished," the chief minister said.

No group has taken responsibility for the attack suspected to be the handiwork of Baloch nationalists, who regularly attack Pakistani security forces and installations in the province.
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12:15   FIR against Vinod Kambli, wife over maid's complaint
An FIR has been registered against former Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli and his wife following a complaint filed by the couple's domestic help, police said today.

The Bandra Police filed the FIR yesterday against 43-year-old Kambli and his wife after the complaint by their maid, who alleged that the couple was not paying proper wages to her and when she asked for it, they misbehaved with her, a police officer said.

"Yesterday, a woman Soni Sarsal (30) made a complaint at Bandra Police Station against Vinod Kambli and his wife Andrea that they had not allowed her to return home and wrongfully confined for three days when she asked them for the wages," Mumbai Police spokesperson Dhananjay Kulkarni said. 

In this regard, a case under IPC sections 343 (wrongful confinement), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) has been registered at Bandra Police Station, he said. 

An officer at Bandra Police Station said they may call Vinod and his wife after ascertaining a few missing links in her statement.
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11:45   Kannada scholar Dr MM Kalburgi shot dead
Kannada scholar Dr MM Kalburgi, who was shot dead by unidentified men on Sunday morning in Dharwad district of Karnataka.

Kalburgi, the former Vice-Chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi, was shot on the forehead and chest at his Kalyan Nagar residence in Dharwad at 8:40am on 30 August. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he breathed his last.

The police are looking into angles of saffron terrorism as several local Hindutva outfits reportedly threatened him over his remarks on idol worship and superstitions that had triggered outrage earlier.

The Kannada scholar was conferred with National Sahitya Akademi Award in 2006 for his collection of research articles, titled "Marga 4".
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11:43   Hardik Patel arrives in Delhi; to meet Jat, Gujjar leaders
After spearheading the agitation by the financially and politically influential Patel community in Gujarat for inclusion in the backward-caste category to avail the quota system in the allocation of government jobs and educational opportunities, Hardik Patel arrived in Delhi on Sunday.

During his visit, the 22-year-old leader of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti is likely to meet Jat and Gujjar leaders spearheading agitation for quota for their communities.

ANI, meanwhile, quoted Patel as saying: "We are not here to meet any ministers. Political parties are not welcome. We want to take our movement to every part of the nation. I have come to Delhi to make future plan of action."
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11:41   Indrani Mukerjea, Sanjeev Khanna trade blames as police grill them
In the latest twist to the Sheena Bora murder case, Indrani Mukerjea and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna accused each other for the crime as the Mumbai police grilled them at Khar Police Station yesterday, the PTI reported quoting a police official.

The police said that both Indrani and Khanna were trying to dodge the questions by giving evasive replies, the PTI added.

Sheena, daughter of high-profile TV tycoon Peter Mukerjea's wife Indrani, was allegedly murdered in 2012 and her was body disposed of in Raigad district.

On Saturday, police said the death threats apprehended by Sheena's brother Mikhail Bora were genuine and he was in Mumbai around April 24, 2012 when his sister was killed.

Living up to his claims, he provided some evidences to the investigators, which Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria said were being verified.
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11:40   Mega rally in Patna today; Sonia Gandhi to attend
Congress president Sonia Gandhi will on Sunday attend the rally of grand secular alliance in Patna, ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar.

The Samajwadi Party will also participate in the rally at Gandhi maidan here but its chief Mulayam Singh Yadav would not attend it.

After a talk between Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal​ chief Lalu Prasad yesterday, it was decided that Samajwadi Party would attend the rally.

Mulayam, however, would not attend and instead would send his brother Shivpal Singh Yadav to the rally.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad will attend the programme being organised for coordination among workers of partner parties in the crucial Bihar elections.
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11:38   Events in Gujarat have pained the nation: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the nation in the 11th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' radio broadcast at 11 am.

Here are highlights of what he said:

* Events in Gujarat (Hardik Patel's quota agitation and the violence) have pained the nation. People will be shocked if this happens in the land of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel.

* Jan Dhan Yojana has completed one year. Some 17.75 crore accounts have been opened under Jan Dhan Yojana. We achieved much in remarkable time. The accounts were to be opened with zero rupees balance, but our poor have managed to deposit Rs 22, 000 crore.

* Every voice is important, but the voice of the farmer is extremely significant. The government is open to any suggestion in the interest of farmers.

* There are many rumors being spread about Land Acquisition Bill, farmers have been scared. We do not want that. We are ready to amend land acquisition act to benefit farmers, who have been misinformed leading to a fear in their minds

* We had issued an ordinance, I've decided that it comes to an end tomorrow. But 13 pointers that will benefit the farmers will be issued.

* For us, "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" is not a mere slogan, but it is a mantra for the welfare of villages, farmer and poor.

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